Articles
The Executive Dilemma – Part I: Three Questions to Ask Before Introducing a Senior Leader to Your Strategic Client
by Ted Harro and Jane Blinde
How do you select and prepare one of your company’s executives to meet one of your client’s executives? Very carefully! And these three questions might just help… Published in Velocity, The Journal of the Strategic Account Management Association, Spring 2005.
The Executive Dilemma – Part II: How to Conduct an Executive-to-Executive Meeting that Drives Value for All
by Ted Harro and Jane Blinde
OK, so you selected and prepared your executive for that senior level meeting – what could possibly go wrong now? Don’t get us started! We outline wrong way and right way approaches to actually conducting and following up on an executive-to-executive interview, complete with a handy one-page guide. Published in Velocity, The Journal of the Strategic Account Management Association, Fall 2005.
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The Executive Dilemma - Part III: Going beyond Executive Calling to Effect Deep Change in Customer Relationships
by Ted Harro
Too many executive sponsorship programs wind up yielding few results. In the final installment of our series on executive calling, we lay out how to analyze the information captured through executive calls, more importantly, we suggest ways to turn that information into action that dramatically improve relationships with key customers. Published in Velocity, The Journal of the Strategic Account Management Association, Winter 2006.
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The Perilous World of the Incumbent
by Ted Harro and Jane Blinde
Have you ever thought you had a loyal client only to find yourself fired? Real clients describe three oversights suppliers make and how you can remain the incumbent with your most important customers. Published in Velocity, The Journal of the Strategic Account Management Association, Winter 2005.
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Are You a Net Creator or Destroyer of Talent? Seven indicators of organizational health
for talent-intensive organizations.
by Ted Harro and Leslie Miller
first published in Journal of Leadership Studies, Volume 3 Issue 1
If a client's ultimate question is, "Would you recommend this firm as a supplier to other companies?" then the ultimate talent question may be, "Would you recommend this firm as an employer to your colleagues and classmates?" The answer to this question looms large on any talent-intensive organization's long-term success. We offer seven indicators you can examine to see how your organization stacks up.
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Partner Work: How Partners Add Unique Value
by Ted Harro and Dave Wondra
Here’s a given: every partner is busy beyond belief. But here’s the question: are they focused on at least one of the roles partners play that build long-term value for the firm? We suggest four leadership roles partners can play that drive client and associate satisfaction.
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Develop a Business, Get a Life
by Ted Harro
Most firm leaders believe that professionals dislike business development. It’s possible that this simply comes from a lack of focus in professionals’ business development plans. We share four big choices professionals can make that will help them develop a book of business and just maybe enjoy it as well.
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What Volunteers Want
Keeping your crew content isn’t as hard as you think. We outline two big principles to guide efforts to engage top-notch, unpaid talent.
Published in Leadership Journal, Summer 2006.
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Minefields, Allies, and Hidden Agendas: Episode I – The Ambush
by Ted Harro
Our research indicates that relationship-building is the most important focus for leaders when they take on a new role. In this true-to-life tale, Ben Scott discovers the first law of influence: Know your colleagues. Read on to learn a proven pattern you can use to discover any colleague’s business agenda.
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Minefields, Allies, and Hidden Agendas: Episode II - The Map
by Ted Harro
Our research indicates that relationship-building is the most important focus for leaders when they take on a new role. In the second episode of this true-to-life tale, Ben Scott discovers the second law of influence: Know the political network. Read this article to learn an insight-provoking approach to figuring out which colleagues are allies and which initiatives will move forward in the organization.
Solving the Culture Puzzle
by Ted Harro
It's hard to fit into a new company, but understanding the core beliefs that form the unwritten rules can help significantly. We offer five clues that will help you figure out what matters in your company and suggest ways to adjust your style to help you get productive quickly.
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Beyond Performance
by Ted Harro
An encounter with C-level client provokes important questions: Why is the world run by tired people? Is excellent performance enough to motivate an organization? What creates long-term performance momentum? We explore the questions and some potential answers.
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Why Bother with a Coach?
by Ted Harro
A friend asks tough questions about the growing trend of executive coaching. We suggest answers to four typical questions posed by skeptics.
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Making Time for Your Ideal Life
by Dave Wondra
How long have you been rat-racing, wheel-spinning, and schedule-juggling for something better? Dave Wondra, our master coach, helps you rediscover the art of making real choices. Published in Experience Life, May/June 2002.
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Lessons from the Doom Loop
by Ted Harro
What can you learn from working in a company that is stuck in the proverbial Doom Loop? We outline five lessons learned the hard way.
Published in Fast Company, May 2004.
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